Dance Marathons were very popular in the 1920s and 30s. The influence of the new Jazz Age gave the dancers new upbeat music. They were sometimes called walkathons and derbies and lasted for many days. The contestants ranged from seasoned professionals to people looking for something to do on a Friday night. Most of the dancers however were part of the younger generation. The prize was normally cash. People could come see the dancers for 25 cents and stay as long as they wanted. There was normally a in-house doctor and a live band. The dance marathons were places for staged professionals to show their work and their endurance. The main challenge was to see who could dance the longest without falling asleep, sometimes they did allow one partner to rest as long as the other one kept dancing. The dances ranged from the Fox Trot, the Charleston, and Swing Dancing. The longest marathon lasted 22 weeks 3 1/2 days. The marathons were not accepted by some, specifically the older generations. They were eventually outlawed because of the unsafe situations the dancers were put in.
Dance Marathons
Dance Marathons were very popular in the 1920s and 30s. The influence of the new Jazz Age gave the dancers new upbeat music. They were sometimes called walkathons and derbies and lasted for many days. The contestants ranged from seasoned professionals to people looking for something to do on a Friday night. Most of the dancers however were part of the younger generation. The prize was normally cash. People could come see the dancers for 25 cents and stay as long as they wanted. There was normally a in-house doctor and a live band. The dance marathons were places for staged professionals to show their work and their endurance. The main challenge was to see who could dance the longest without falling asleep, sometimes they did allow one partner to rest as long as the other one kept dancing. The dances ranged from the Fox Trot, the Charleston, and Swing Dancing. The longest marathon lasted 22 weeks 3 1/2 days. The marathons were not accepted by some, specifically the older generations. They were eventually outlawed because of the unsafe situations the dancers were put in.Return To: Fads and Fashions
Works Consulted
HistoryLink.org. 25 August 2003. History Ink. 4 March 2008 <http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=5534>.
Street Swing's Dance History. 7 February 2007. Dance History Archives. 4 March 2008 <http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/d5marthn.htm>.